Parkway free for 2 weeks

Riding the Suncoast Parkway will be free for at least two weeks after it opens Sunday, and maybe several more weeks on some stretches.

Normally, it will cost $2 to travel the 32-mile stretch of the road from the Veterans Expressway in Hillsborough County to State Road 50 in Hernando County and another $1 to the northern terminus on U.S. 98 once the final 10 miles opens this summer.

Before any toll road opens, the state Department of Transportation always considers ways of making it accessible to the public, said project spokeswoman Joanne Hurley said.

After the grace period ends Feb. 19, workers will begin collecting tolls at the booths at the southern terminus and at State Road 54.